Firing mechanism



O. NEUBRAND FIRINC- MECHANISM "l Sept. M, E937.

Filed July 18, 1935 War Otzo Jl/eubrand y Patented Sept. 14, 1937 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ring mechanisms for double-barreled guns and more particularly the invention is concerned with a firing mechanism which includes dual or twin triggers, each of which is initially operable to fire the charge in the associated barrel and thereafter operable, if desired, to i'lre the charge in the companion barrel.

One object of the invention is a firing mechanism of the character generally described in which provision is made for preventing doubling, that is to say the unintentional or involuntary firing of a barrel as a result of the recoil set up by the ring of the companion barrel.

A further object is to provide a firing mechanism which is available for use in connection with guns of standard design.

A still further object is a ring mechanism which is simple and economical in construction and which is reliable in operation.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a View, partly in dotted lines and partly in section, of the left side of the breech portion of a gun having a ring mechanism embodying the features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken along line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing the relation of the parts of the ring mechanism as the trigger on the left side of the gun is being pulled and just prior to the release of the associated hammer.

Figure 4 is a similar View showing the relation of the parts of the mechanism after the hammer has been released and the trigger has returned to its normal position.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section taken along line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal horizontal section taken along line 6-0 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a similar section showing the relation of the locking parts of the mechanism after a trigger has been operated to fire the charge in the left barrel and prior to the firing of the charge in the right barrel.

Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views of the elements which carry the co-operating locking lugs.

Figure 10 is a section similar to Figure 6 showing the relation of the locking parts of the mechanism when the trigger which is associated with the right barrel is at the upper limit of its range of movement.

Figure 11 is a similar section showing the relation of the locking parts after the said trigger has been released and permitted to return to its normal position.

Figure 12 is a detail sectional View of one of the locking elements and the associated actuating spring.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in connection with a double-barrel shot gun of conventional construction, the two barrels I3 of the gun being arranged in side-by-side relation in a common horizontal plane and being pivotally connected to the usual casing or frame I4 by a pin lila. rihe ring mechanism is arranged in the said casing or frame and includes ring pins I 5 and i6 which are employed in connection with the left and right barrels, respectively, the associated hammers II and i8 being pivotally mounted upon a pin i9 which is supported between the side plates 20 of the casing or frame. A cooking rod 22 is employed in connection with each of the hammers, the said rods being suitably mounted for lengthwise movement. At one end the rods 22 engage projections 23 which are formed or provided upon the hammers. At their opposite ends they terminate in the vicinity of cams 24 which are mounted for angular movement upon ins 25. Cooking of the hammers is effected in conventional manner by breaking the gun, the attendant pivotal movement of the cams 24 being transmitted to the associated hammers through the agency of the rods 22, whereby to pivot the hammers away from the ring pins against the action of their actuating springs.

The hammers are held in their cocked positions by sears 26 and 2l, the former co-operating with the hammer il while the latter co-operates with the hammer I8. The said sears are pivotally mounted upon a pin '28 which extends between, and which is supported by, the side plates of the casing or frame I4. They are spaced in the desired relation upon the pin by a sleeve 29 and their forward ends are held in engagement with their respective hammers by springs 30, the said hammers being notched as at 3l to provide shoulders behind which the forward ends of the sears come to rest as thev hammers are moved to their cocked positions.

The ring mechanism includes forward and rear triggers 32 and 33, respectively, which are pivotally mounted at their forward ends upon a r pin 34, the said triggers being normally held at the lower limits of their ranges of movement by leaf springs 32a which, at one end, overlie rearwardly extending projections 23a formed or provided upon the triggers and which at their oppog element 33.

site ends are secured to the trigger plate 35 by screws 35a. The pin 35 is supported between upwardly extending portions 35 of a member 3l which is suitably secured to the trigger plate 35. The said plate is formed with parallel slot-s 38 which accommodate the triggers, the latter being movable in substantially the same manner as conventional triggers and having conventional finger portions for enabling them to be moved in such manner. The triggers 32 and 33 carry sector-like elements 33 and iii?, respectively, which are pivotally connected to the triggers by pins l the said elements being arranged. in side-by-side relation. A portion of the outer surface of the element 39 is cut away to provide a cam l2 which terminates in a hub i3 while the outer face of the companion element i5 is cut away to provide a cam lli which terminates in a hub 25, the hubs 43 and 45 being located beneath the rear ends of the sears 2i' and 26, respectively. The cams provided by the elements 33 and iii are held in engagement with the rear ends of the sears by springs (i6, the said springs being secured at one end to the trigger plate by the screws 35a and being shaped at their opposite ends to provide loops i3 (Figure l2) which fit in annular grooves 119 formed in the hub portions of the elements. The loops 53 terminate in lateral projections 55 which extend through openings 5l formed in the hub walls to engage the peripheries of the latter. When the triggers are cocked (Figure l) the rear ends of the sears are located directly over the hub portions of the elements 39 and 55. rlhe said sears, at this time, engage the base portions of the cams provided upon the elements, it being noted that the springs i3 are under tension and that as a result of such tension the elements 39 and 55 are biased upon the pins il in a counterclockwise direction. Movement of the elements 35 and @il in such direction is, of course, prevented by the engagement of the rear ends of the sears with the cams l2 and 44.

The inner face of the element 39 is formed to provide lugs 52 and 53 (Figure 8) which extend toward the adjacent face of the element 55, the inner face of the latter being formed to provide a lug 54 (Figure 9) which extends toward the adjacent face of the element 39. When both triggers are cocked the elements 39 and Il@ are held in such angular relation with respect to one another by the sears 23 and 2'! and the cams 42 and lift that the lug 52 of the element F35 is located substantially midway between the lugs 52 and 53 of the element 39 (Figure 6). When the elements 39 and 53 are in the position described, therefore, either trigger may be operated independently of the other to fire the charge in the associated barrel.` For example, if the forward trigger 32 is operated the element 33 will be carried upwardly with it, the hub of the said element engaging the rear end of the sear 2l and moving it upwardly to release the hammer i3. During this movement of the element 39 the lugs 52 and 53 thereof move along opposite .sides of the lug 55. If on the other hand, the rear trigger 33 is first operated the element il is carried upwardly with it and the sear 25 is moved to release the hammer Il, the lug 54 moving between the lugs 52 and 53 of the It will be apparent, therefore, that when both triggers are cocked the elements 35i and 55 occupy positions which will enable either trigger to be operated independently of the other.

The mechanism is so designed, however, that after one of the triggers has been operated to re one of the barrels the remaining barrel may be red by a second operation of the same trigger. Assuming, for example, that both triggers are cocked and that the trigger 32 is pulled to fire the charge in the right barrel as described. During the initial part of the upward movement of the element 39 the forward end of the sear 2l moves out of the notch 3l to permit operation of the hammer I3 by its actuating spring. The said hammer, as is the companion hammer, is provided with a cam portion 55 which, as the end of the sear moves out of the notch 3l engages the said sear and moves it downwardly against the action of the associated spring 30. The rear end of the sear, therefore, is caused to move upwardly. As the element 39 reaches the upper limit of its range of movement the lug 53 thereof is located behind the lug 55 of the element lll (Figure l0). Hence, although the spring 55 which is associated with the element 33 tends to rotate it, such rotation is prevented by the engagement of the lug 53 with the lug 55. When the trigger 32 is released it returns to its normal position. The element 33, therefore, moves downwardly with it, the lug 53 moving alongside and below the lug 54. As the lug 53 moves below the lug 53 the spring 35 of the element 39 is operative to rotate it in a counterclockwise direction, until the cam thereof engages the rear end of the sear 2. During such movement of the element 39 the lug 53 thereof moves under the lug 55 as shown in Figure ll. It will be apparent, therefore, that if the trigger 32 is pulled a second time its movement will be transmitted to the trigger 33 by the lugs 53 and 53, whereby to actuate the trigger 33 to fire the left barrel. In this connection it will be noted that although the left barrel may be fired by pulling the trigger 32 a second time as described, the left barrel may, if desired, be iired by pulling the trigger 33. In the latter event the element fill will move upwardly as the trigger is pulled, the lug 55 moving upwardly away from the lug 53. In other words, if the trigger 33 is availed of to fire the charge in the left barrel, after the charge in the right barrel has been red by the trigger 32, there will be no movement imparted to the trigger 32.

If, on the other hand, the trigger 33 is first operated when both triggers are cocked the hub of the element 45 will move the forward end of the sear 23 out of the notch 3l of the hammer Il to permit the latter to strike the ring pin I5. As the hammer moves toward the firing pin the rear end of the sear 25 is moved upwardly against the action of the spring 35. When the element d3 reaches the upper limit of its range of movement the lug 55 thereof is located behind the lug 52 of the element 39. Hence, although the spring i3 which is associated with the element 45 tends to rotate it, such rotation is prevented by the engagement of the lugs 52 and 54. Upon the release of the trigger 33 it returns to its normal position. The element 45, therefore, moves downwardly with it and the lug 5d thereof moves alongside and below the lug 52. As the lug 54 moves below the lug 52 the spring i5 of the element (l5 is operative to rotate it in a counterclockwise direction until the cam fili thereof engages the end of the sear 25. During such movement of the element i5 the lug 52 moves below the lug 52 to the position shown in Figure 7. It will be apparent, therefore, that if the trigger 33 is pulled a second time its upward movement will be transmitted to the trigger 32 by the lugs 52 and '515, whereby to actuate the trigger 32 to fire the right barrel. In this connection it will be noted that although the rightbarrel may be fired by pulling the trigger 33 a second time, as described, the right barrel may, if desired, be red by pulling the trigger 32. In the latter event the lug 52 moves upwardly away from the lug 54 during the upward movement of the trigger. In other words, if the trigger 32 is availed of to fire the charge in the right barrel after the charge in the left barrel has been red by the trigger 33 there will be no movement imparted to the trigger 33.

It will be noted that upon the operation of one of the triggers the associated element 39 or 56, as the case may be, moves upwardly and then downwardly with the trigger while maintaining its normal angular position and thereafter pivots forwardly to reengage-its cam with the associated sear. The springs 46 are so designed that after one of the elements 39 or 46 moves forward in the manner described the recoil resulting from the firing of the gun will cause the said element to pivot rearwardly against the action of the associated spring 46 substantially to its original position, that is to say the position which it assumes when its trigger is in a cocked position. The accidental or unintentional pulling of the trigger at such a time will not, therefore, fire the second barrel inasmuch as the co-operating locking lugs of the two elements occupy positions (Figure 6) in which independent movement of the triggers is permitted. The accidental second operation of a trigger which has just been pulled will, therefore, merely result in a second upward movement of the trigger, the lugs of the elements being so positioned at this time that they do not engage one another. In other words, the second barrel can not be red by the trigger which fires the nrst barrel until after the recoil has been dissipated and the element thereof has moved forwardly to reengage the associated sear. Doubling is, therefore, prevented.

It will be apparent that each trigger is available to re both barrels of the gun in a predetermined order and that each trigger always res rst the particular barrel with which it is associated and thereafter is available to fire the other barrel. The triggers, therefore, re the barrels in reverse order. As it is the standard practice to employ in association barrels which spread the charges over different areas, the ring mechanism described has the advantage that the trigger which is associated with the barrel most suitable for the particular shot may be pulled to fire the said barrel and thereafter pulled a second time to lire the remaining barrel.

Means is provided for locking the triggers in their cocked positions in order to prevent accidental firing of the gun. 'I'he said means includes a slide 56 (Figure 1) which is formed or provided with a conventional thumb-piece 51. The thumb-piece is movable along the top plate 58 of the casing or frame I4 and is connected to the slide 56 by stems 59 and 53a` which pass through a slot 66 formed in the top plate. The stems 59 `and 59a also pass through a slot 6l which is formed in the rear end of the slide 56, a pin 62 which passes through the stem S securing the said slide against the under side of the top plate. At its forward end the slide 56 is formed with a depending extension 63, the slide being movable, when the triggers are cocked, to one position (see dotted line position in Figure l) in which the extension 63 overlies the elements 39 and 46 in such proximity thereto that operation of the triggers, either intentionally or otherwise, is prevented. The slide 56 is movable to a second position in which it is located out of the path of movement of the elements 39 and 40 (seefull-line position in Figure l) whereby to permit operation of the triggers to re the gun in the manner described. The slide is held in either of the two positions described by a spring-loaded ball 64. The latter is located in a recess 65 which is formed in the under side of the top plate 5B and is movable into depressions 66 which are formed in the top side of the slide 56, the said ball occupying one of the depressions when the slide is in its locking position and the other of said depressions when the slide is in its unlocked position.

It will be noted that when both triggers are 'f cocked and the slide 56 is in its unlocked position,n

that is to say the full-line position shown in Figure 3, and one of the triggers is pulled the associated element 39 or 40, as the case may be, moves upwardly alongside the extension 63 of the slide. Although angular forward movement of the element under the influence of its spring 46 is prevented by one of its lugs and a lug )of the companion element, as heretofore described, the said lugs move out of engagement with one another during the downward movement of the element just as it reaches a point below the lower extremity of the extension 63. Hence as the element pivots forwardly it passes beneath said extension. In order to provide clearance for the extension 63 when a trigger is operated a second time to nre the second barrel each element is notched as at 6T, the said notches being deep enough to permit movement of the elements throughout their full range as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4.

I claim as my invention:

1. A firing mechanism for a gun having at least two barrels and including a hammer for each barrel, sears for holding the hammers in their cocked positions, triggers for moving said sears to effect the release of said hammers, a pair of elements, means for pivotally connecting one of said elements to one of said triggers and means for pivotally connecting the other of said elements to the other of said triggers, said elements being provided with co-operating lugs which are so arranged when both of said hammers are cocked that said triggers may be operated independently and which are moved to interlock with one another when one of said triggers has been operated to lire one of said barrels, thereby to secure said triggers together so that the same trigger may be operated a second time to hre the second barrel.

2. A ring mechanism for a gun having at least two barrels and including a hammer for each barrel, sears for holding said hammers in their cocked positions, triggers for moving said sears to effect the release of said hammers, a pair of elements, means for pivotally connecting one of said elements to one of said triggers and means for pivotally connecting the other of said elements to the other of said triggers, said elements being arranged in side-by-side relation and being provided upon their adjacent faces with cooperating lugs which are so arranged when both of said hammers are cocked that said triggers may be operated independently and which are moved to interlock with one another when one of said triggers has been operated to re one of said barrels thereby to secure said triggers together so that the same trigger may be operated a second time to fire the second barrel.

3. A firing mechanism for a double-barreled gun including a hammer for each barrel, sears for holding said hammers in their cocked positions, triggers for moving said sears to effect the release of said hammers', a pair of elements, means for pivotally connecting one of said elements to one of said triggers, means for pivotally connecting the other of said elements to the other of said triggers, said elements being provided With co-operating lugs, and resilientl means for holding one of said elements against each of said sears and for causing the said elements to follow said sears, said sears being operative When both of said hammers are cocked to hold said elements so that said lugs clear one another to permit said triggers to be operated independently and being operative as one of said triggers is operated to re one of said barrels to move one of said elements so that said lugs interlock to secure said triggers together to enable the same trigger to be operated a second time to fire the second barrel.

4. A firing mechanism for a double-barreled gun including a hammer for each barrel, sears for holding said hammers in their cocked positions, triggers for moving said sears to effect the release of said hammers, a pair of elements, means for pivotally connecting one of said elements to one of said triggers, means for pivotally connecting the other of said elements to the other of said triggers, said elements being provided with co-operating lugs and resilient means for holding said elements against said sears and for causing said elements to follow said sears, said sears being operative when both hammers are cocked to hold said elements so that said lugs clear one another to permit said triggers to be operated independently and being movable to a second position When they are actuated to release their respective hammers, said sear being operative in 40 said second position to hold said element so that a lug thereof engages a lug of the companion element so that the same trigger may be operated a second time to fire the second barrel, said resilient means being operative to permit the element of said last mentioned trigger to return momentarily to its original position as the gun recoils during ring of the first barrel, whereby to prevent doubling 5. A ring mechanism for a double-barreled gun including a hammer for each barrel, sears for holding said hammers in their cocked positions, triggers for moving said sears to eiect the release of said hammers, a pair of elements, means for pivotally connecting one of said elements to one of said triggers, means for pivotally connecting the other of said elements to the other of said triggers, said elements being arranged in side-by-side relation, a lug provided upon the inner face of one of said elements, a pair of c0- operating lugs provided upon the inner face of the companion element and resilient means for holding said elements against said sears and for causing said elements to follow said sears, said sears being operative when both of said hammers are cocked to hold said elements so that said rst named lug is located between and clear of said pair of lugs to enable said triggers to be operated independently and being movable to a second position When they are actuated to release their respective hammers, said resilient means being operative when one of said triggers is operated to re one of said barrels to pivot the associated element so that it engages the associated sear in said second position, said sear being operative in said second position to hold said element so that a lug thereof is located beneath a lug of the companion element, whereby the same trigger may be operated a second time to fire the second barrel.

OTTO NEUBRAND. 

